It's in your inbox: the results of a nasal swab for MRSA that you never ordered.
Tag, you're it.
Scores of monthly INR results for patients from the past 10 years of care. They're now cared for by "your" nurse practitioners. Has someone addressed all these?
Tag, you're it.
The ER with "your patient." The one you saw once in consultation back in 2004.
Tag, you're it.
A pneumovax given that you nevered ordered. A patient who's angry with a bill.
Tag, you're it.
An EKG result you've already read. And signed. But that's not enough. It's scanned in to the computer now so please click on it to "sign it," will you?
Tag, you're it.
Confirmation of an e-mail message that you sent to your patient. Click again, please, so the computer knows that you know that you sent it.
Tag, you're it.
You didn't call her with her results within 24-hours?
Tag, you're it.
It's astonishing: the speed, the volume, the ability to recall information today from days, weeks, even years before. Like a overspun conveyor belt with information packages coming at you from everywhere spinning faster, faster, faster still.
Someone has to be responsible for all the mandated care, the results, and the labs tests ordered behind physician's backs in our new era of electronic medicine.
So doctors: tag, you're it.
But here's a little secret from the IT department: just highlight them all, then right click. It's so much faster.
See?
Then a knock at your door.
A summons.
Tag, doctor, you're it.
-Wes
I finished up a career once back in the day and sailed off into the sunset. If we are not careful... docs will be heading for the hills.
ReplyDeleteScary when you start to find out what's being ordered under you name.....
ReplyDeleteInteresting blog. Added you to my REC blogroll
ReplyDeleteThis all is so nuts. People don't even realize. This is like working at a call center for HP or Dell. Would you rather your MDs or RNs do this kind of stuff, or, would you rather they have time to actually see you one on one and figure out what is wrong with you and what to do about it? The time spent with patient is cut short in order to handle this crap.
ReplyDelete-SCRN
First priority: produce data for the government.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere down the line: Oh! Yeah! Take care of the patient.
How is it we lose more and more reimbursement and control, but we never lose any of the liability?
ReplyDeleteWhat a nightmare! This is why they'll have to pry my paper charts from my cold, dead hands.
ReplyDeleteWhen every doc has access to every part of the patient's medical record, does every doc become liable for everything in that record?
This sounds like an episode of The Twilight Zone...paging Dr. Serling...
ReplyDelete"This is why they'll have to pry my paper charts from my cold, dead hands."
ReplyDeleteI couldn't have said it better!